Core Technology Enterprise Architect

Job description

Core Technology Enterprise Architect

Role Purpose

The role of the Core Technologies Enterprise Architect is to develop the UK Firm’s technology strategy for Secure Foundations and translate this into a roadmap that determines our investment priorities and transformation portfolio. The technology strategy needs to promote a seamless, end-to-end customer and employee experience by enabling the efficient creation and modification of effective and reusable technology components. In particular, the strategy should promote the use of modern, Cloud-based technologies; support typical Core Technology use cases; create an operating model that satisfies the demands of the business for design, development, testing and release of new technologies; and establish a catalogue that supports the reuse of new technology components, whilst targeting legacy applications and technology for decommissioning. The Core Technologies Enterprise Architect should also help to execute and govern the strategy, by helping Solution Architects and projects to design solutions that are fit for purpose and conform to our standards and patterns.

Enterprise-Wide Technology (EWT) is an internally facing, dedicated team of over 450 technologists and other specialists, focused on keeping technology running seamlessly for everyone in KPMG. Strategy & Architecture sits within EWT. The team provide technology solutions to the firm, covering Design, Assurance and Strategic Direction to the firm. 

Key Responsibilities

You will need to maintain your core knowledge of Core Technology platforms, wider technology trends and the KPMG technology ecosystem; build Core Technology roadmaps and solutions; and govern relevant technology choices within the Firm.

Core Knowledge

• Maintain a high level of technical knowledge incl. current, emerging and future technology market trends and their impact on the business
• Develop and maintain expert knowledge of KPMG’s technology ecosystem, incl. the main applications and technologies that interact with secure foundation technologies
• If required, provide advice to and/or seek to learn from other Member Firms, client teams and/or clients that are seeking to implement or improve their use of Core Technology applications

Roadmaps & Solutions

• Build and maintain the Core Technology roadmap and architecture for KPMG assets, working with Capability CTOs, and business and technical SMEs where relevant
• Ensure that Capability roadmaps are aligned to the Core Technology strategy, and coherent with those of other Capabilities and technology domain roadmaps
• Work with Capability CTOs, technical SMEs, and specific projects to analyse and translate business requirements into technical requirements, ensuring that these are feasible
• Ensure that Solution Architects produce designs that are fit for purpose, adhere to relevant standards and patterns, leverage reusable components, and are coherent with wider KPMG technology domains
• Contribute to the selection of specific Sales & Marketing technologies
• Influence business and technology stakeholders to adopt the right technology solutions
• Create assets for solutions to promote and adopt Firmwide driving innovation and change supporting strategic initiatives.
• Support the design and implementation of operating models that improve the design and delivery of successful Core Technology deployments
• Escalate risks, issues and critical dependencies to the appropriate leaders as required to ensure the successful delivery of the strategy

Technology Governance

• Help to establish, and participate in, the technology assurance processes and reviews, building reference models and ensuring that standards, patterns, and reusable components are enforced
• Ensure that legacy technology is decommissioned to manage and reduce technical debt
• Support the selection and implementation of enterprise architecture tools that help to accelerate and govern technology initiatives

Knowledge, Skills & Qualifications

Essential (Core Technology)

• Demonstrable expert knowledge of Integration, Cloud, Digital Workplace,  Employee Experience, End User Computing and Automation & Workflow and Microsoft (such as Data Fabric, Entra, etc.) technologies
• Demonstrate knowledge of Data Centre, Active Directory, Security and Network technologies
• Good knowledge of Core Technology processes, e.g. Software Development, DevOps
• Demonstrable experience in Core Technology platform implementation with a minimum 6 years acting as technical lead
• Design of complex integrations between platforms & other enterprise solutions, e.g. based on SSO, JSON, SOAP, XML, SAML, SSL, Web Services, LDAP, JDBC, ODBC, REST, SCP & SFTP

Essential (Other)

• Experience of working with Agile SDLC (Software Development Lifecycle Management) methods
• AI technologies, such as Azure OpenAI
• Understanding of common business analysis techniques and approaches
• Able to explain technical concepts to a non-technical audience in a way that is relevant, easy to consume and compelling
• A high level of general, technical knowledge incl. current, emerging and future technology market trends and their impact on business
• Keen interest in the evolution of AI and understanding of the innovative ways in which AI could transform solutions
• Good understanding of project management concepts, incl. Gantt charts/plans, risks, assumptions, and dependencies, etc.
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Good interpersonal and leadership skills
• Ability to leverage networks in KPMG, e.g. to tap into additional expertise if required
• Comfortable working with ambiguity at the beginning of projects with the ability to provide clarity of direction despite this
• Taking the creative initiative to lead and direct solutions forward as a technical specialist

Desirable

• Good knowledge of other enterprise platforms and supporting applications, e.g., SAP, SuccessFactors, ServiceNow, AWS, GCP
• Experience of leading offshore teams
• Practical understanding of GDPR and ISO 27001
• Qualified in ITIL and TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework)
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

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